Von Miller (58) of the Denver Broncos runs back to the sidelines after a sack in the fourth quarter. The Denver Broncos played the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Feb. 7, 2016. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

It’s Miller time. Carolina double-teamed Von Miller on its first possession. But he stunted twice and pulled back, and his blockers stood with nothing to do. On the Panthers’ next possession, tight end Ed Dickson showed double-team, then left Miller alone. So Miller blew by lineman Mike Remmers to create a fumble and a Denver touchdown.

Home away from home. Super Bowl crowds usually are a “wine and cheese” set and not very engaged. But the crowd Sunday at Levi’s Stadium appeared to be 80 percent Broncos fans clad in orange. They were very loud.

Very special. Kayvon Webster stuffed Carolina for a 1-yard loss on a punt return. Jordan Norwood returned a punt 61 yards. Brandon McManus hit all of his kicks. Denver special teams got an A grade. Read more…

The best and worst from the Broncos’ 20-18 win against New England in their AFC championship game on Sunday…

BEST

Miller puts heat on Brady. A master of all roles Sunday, Broncos linebacker Von Miller freelanced from all over the field. He intercepted a Tom Brady pass in the second quarter when he stretched out in front of tight end Rob Gronkowski. Miller was credited with 2½ sacks. One came deep in Patriots territory in the third quarter. He also hurried Brady on four throws.

Prowling Brady. Derek Wolfe’s sack of Brady in the first quarter helped force a three-and-out, setting the tone for a dominating performance by the Denver defense. And Wolfe knocked down a Brady throw to force a punt.

Manning’s mobility. Manning’s 12-yard scramble on a third-and-10 play in the third quarter was the Broncos’ longest run of the game to that point. Read more…

Demaryius Thomas (88) of the Denver Broncos leaves the field after warmups. The Denver Broncos played the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Round Playoff Game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Jan. 17, 2016. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Thomas tops list. Demaryius Thomas, playing with his mom in the crowd for the first time in his career, made her proud. His reception in the fourth quarter set a Broncos record for most postseason catches with 50. His 739 receiving yards ranks second in Denver’s playoff history behind Rod Smith’s 860.

Manning errorless. Manning, who led the NFL in interceptions before Brock Osweiler took over in November, protected the ball like his PIN password. It was just his second game this season without an interception, his first as a starter.

McPerfect. Brandon McManus, much maligned after his wild hook against the Bengals three weeks ago, was 5-for-5 on field goals on a windy day, including a 51-yarder in the second quarter.

WORSTS

Dropped passes. If Broncos fans chanted IN-COM-PLETE for their own team, they would have been hoarse by halftime. Denver receivers dropped seven passes from Peyton Manning, including six in the first half. No team in the NFL had more dropped passes in a game this season. Emmanuel Sanders and Bennie Fowler dropped two apiece; C.J. Anderson, Demaryius Thomas and Ronnie Hillman also dropped one.

Third-and-done. Dropped passes didn’t help on third down, when the Broncos failed so often to move the sticks and generated momentum. They didn’t convert a second third down until a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter. Denver finished 3-for-15 on third down conversions.

Playing it safe. How wildly different would the game have turned if the Broncos had not settled for a field goal on fourth-and-1 from Pittsburgh’s 10 yard line on their first drive?

Grades

Offense: C-
Brandon McManus accounted all the Broncos’ points through the third quarter as the offense struggled to find its rhythm, and the end zone. The Broncos had seven drops (six in the first half) and were 3-of-15 on third downs, but were given a break when the defense forced a fumble in the fourth quarter. C.J. Anderson capped the ensuing drive with the game-winning, one-yard touchdown run, and Demaryius Thomas sealed it with a two-point conversion. Peyton Manning finished 21-of-37 for 222 yards.

Defense: B+
Miscommunication in the early going led to wide-open, deep catches for Pittsburgh, who racked up 133 yards in the first quarter, the most allowed in that quarter by the Broncos this season. But the defense came through when it counted most, with a forced fumble by Bradley Roby and recovery by DeMarcus Ware to set up the game-winning drive. Ware had a sack late in the game, one of three by the defense.

Special Teams: A
Omar Bolden returned a punt 42 yards to help set up a field goal by McManus in the first quarter, and Kayvon Webster later kept a Broncos kickoff from going into the end zone for a 17-yard saving in yardage. McManus set a team playoff record with his five field goals and, in coverage, the Broncos allowed only 20 yards on four punt returns by Pittsburgh.

Coaching: B-
This game was the Broncos to lose, with Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger playing with a hurt shoulder, and the Steelers playing without their leading receiver and running back. And the Broncos almost did lose it. But a big play — courtesy of Roby and Ware — gave the Broncos a chance to redeem themselves and advance. The inefficiency on offense deserves attention in the coming week, though.

Game balls

Brandon McManus. The Broncos’ kicker set a team record for most field goals in a playoff game, at five. His 51-yarder tied Jason Elam for the second-longest by a Bronco in a playoff game.

DeMarcus Ware. The veteran outside linebacker recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter to set up the game-winning drive, then sacked Roethlisberger on Pittsburgh’s subsequent drive.

Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) celebrates his touchdown with Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson (22) during the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers on Jan. 3, 2016 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. (Helen Richardson, The Denver Post)

Record-setting day. Demaryius Thomas has had his bouts with drops this season, but Sunday he joined Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison as the only wide receivers with four consecutive seasons with 90 catches, at least 1,300 yards and five touchdowns. On Sunday, Thomas had five catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. He had his 32nd 100-yard receiving game, surpassing Rod Smith for the most in franchise history.

Backs run wild. Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson combined for a season-high 210 rushing yards. Hillman led the team with 15 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown.

“D” starts strong. The Broncos held San Diego to 93 yards and six points in the first half while the offense was turning the ball over four times.

WORSTS

Turnovers galore. After the opening touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos gave the ball up on three consecutive possessions in Chargers territory. On five of their next eight possessions, Denver’s drives ended with either a fumble or an interception.

Offensive line woes. The line allowed only two sacks, but Chargers pressure contributed to a Brock Osweiler interception and several errant throws. OT Michael Schofield was benched for Tyler Polumbus in the third quarter. Read more…

AJ McCarron has played safe, if unspectacular, football for the Bengals since taking over at quarterback for the injured Andy Dalton. He’s like Brock Osweiler’s double. They might not be world-beaters. But both backups aren’t messing up.

The Bengals on Monday night went a full four quarters without a turnover… until a game-deciding fumble from McCarron in overtime.

On a second-and-10 from the 33, and trailing by 3, McCarron dropped into a shotgun. He sent A.J. Green in motion. And with the receiver flashing across, the Broncos adjusted their defense. It caught McCarron’s eye. He glanced up to see the switches. And just then, he lost track of the snap. It flew through his fingers and hit his rib protector.

Game over.

“It was my fault. I told the team that,” McCarron said. “I felt like I let the team down.”

It wasn’t only a mistake that did in the Bengals. It was a second half turnaround by the Denver defense.

Demaryius Thomas (88) of the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter. The Denver Broncos played the Cincinnati Bengals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Dec. 28, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Anderson’s run pumped life into team. CJ Anderson’s sprint through the line and snap-cut to the outside for a 39-yard, go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter more than tripled his yardage total to that point. And it gave the Broncos some life with some very much needed running prowess. Anderson had just 12 yards on three rushes before the game-turning run.

Tackling machine. Inside linebacker Danny Trevathan quietly held together Denver’s defense. He nabbed a game-high 10 combined tackles in the first half, more than twice as many as the next nearest player for either team.

Playing it safe. He might not light up your fantasy league, but Brock Osweiler continues to not mess up. He threw only four interceptions in his six previous games and had a clean sheet through three quarters Monday.

WORSTS

Slow first half. Maybe the Broncos heard so much chatter about their second-half ineptness in December that they forgot about the first half. The Bengals dominated it. They ran more than twice as many plays (38 to 16) for nearly three times as much possession (21:14 to 8:46).

Balance bad. Chicken or the egg? Couldn’t set up the pass because the run game stalled? Or vice versa? The Broncos gained only 16 yards on the ground before halftime. And Brock Osweiler threw for a slim 89 yards.

D.T. struggles. Demaryius Thomas, the Broncos’ No. 1 receiver, was a ghost again, with only two catches on four targets in the first half. He had five catches last week at Pittsburgh, his worst showing since catching four passes total in back-to-back games against the Bears and Patriots in November.

Grades

Offense: B-
With little time to work in the first half, the Broncos recorded only 89 net yards and failed to find the end zone in the first 30 minutes. Their scoring woes ended with an 8-yard touchdown catch by Emmanuel Sanders in the third quarter and a 39-yard rushing touchdown by C.J. Anderson in the fourth. Brock Osweiler finished 27-of-39 for 299 yards, one touchdown and three sacks.

Defense: A-
The defense’s challenge was obvious on the opening drive, when the Bengals marched 80 yards on a 15-play scoring drive, the longest against the Broncos this season. In the first half alone, Cincinnati amassed 204 net yards and went 7-of-8 on third downs. Things changed in the final three periods (overtime included) as the Bengals picked up only 90 net yards and DeMarcus Ware sealed the victory with his fumble recovery.

Special teams: B
Britton Colquitt’s first punt, in the first quarter, was returned only 1 yard, thanks to a big tackle by Shaquil Barrett. Kayvon Webster delivered another big special-teams tackle in the fourth quarter that resulted in a loss of 3 yards on a punt return for Cincinnati. All told, the Broncos allowed an average of 7 yards on kick and punt returns. Brandon McManus’ badly missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth, but he recovered to make 37-yarder in OT.

Coaching: B-
Much of the talk coming out of Dove Valley the past few weeks was about the Broncos’ second-half offensive struggles. The script was flipped Monday when the defense appeared unprepared for the Bengals in the first half and the Denver offense came alive in the second, punching the Broncos’ ticket to the postseason.

Game balls

Emmanuel Sanders. He caught a 35-yard pass in the first half to reach 1,000 receiving yards on the season, then caught an 8-yard touchdown pass for the Broncos’ first third-quarter points since Nov. 8.

DeMarcus Ware. His fumble recovery on a Bengals second-and-10 in overtime sealed the Broncos’ victory.

Homecoming career day. Emmanuel Sanders said he wasn’t sure how he would feel Sunday when he walked into Heinz Field for the first time as a visitor. He played like he had something to prove. Sanders caught 10 passes for a career-high 181 yards and a touchdown. Sanders had his 11th 100-plus yard receiving game with Denver. He had zero such games in four seasons with Pittsburgh.

Cha-ching. Defensive end Malik Jackson has been one of the Broncos’ best players all season. He added two sacks and two tackles for a loss Sunday. Jackson, an impending free agent, is making himself a lot of money.

One-dimensional. The Broncos held running back DeAngelo Williams to 14 carries for 26 yards, while forcing Ben Roethlisberger to throw 55 passes.

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller (58) celebrates a sack with Derek Wolfe (95) in the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders on Dec. 13, 2015 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post)

Strong start. The Broncos’ defense had a historic performance in the first half, holding the Raiders to minus-12 yards on six offensive drives. A combination of pass rush, great coverage and smothering run defense was on display. The Broncos’ defense gave up 13 points, but one touchdown was the result of being placed in bad field position due to a muffed punt.

Locking down the youngster. Cornerbacks Chris Harris and Aqib Talib shut down receiver Amari Cooper, who came into the game leading all rookies in receiving yards. Cooper had zero catches on eight targets.

Sack master. Von Miller notched sack No. 10 on the season in the first-half, leading to one of his famous dances. He has been on a roll lately.

Von Miller (58) of the Denver Broncos debuts a new sack dance after taking down Philip Rivers (17) of the San Diego Chargers during the first half of the Broncos’ 17-3 win at Qualcomm Stadium. The Denver Broncos played the San Diego Chargers in a week 13 NFL game on Dec. 6, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Von-tastic. Outside linebacker Von Miller never doubted his skills, but the sack numbers weren’t there. He still remained confident that the break out game was coming. It came Sunday with two sacks, a forced fumble and recovery.

If you can’t stop him, hold. Defensive end Malik Jackson didn’t show up much in the stats (two tackles, two pass deflections), but he lived in the Chargers’ backfield with three QB hits and he forced three holding calls.

Bounce-back game. Receiver Demaryius Thomas admittedly had a rough game last Sunday against the Patriots with numerous drops, but he got back to his normal play with six catches on six targets for 61 yards and a touchdown.

WORSTS

Injuries. The Broncos’ came into the game down Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, Sylvester Williams and T.J. Ward. Four more starters left the game Sunday against the Chargers and did not return. C.J. Anderson (ankle), Vernon Davis (concussion), Danny Trevathan (concussion) and David Bruton (knee). Health is becoming a big concern.

Nitpicking the defense. Chargers’ backs and tight ends had some success exploiting linebackers and safety in coverage due to missed tackles. Still, three points is hard to knock.

Not great, but enough. The Broncos’ offense didn’t have its best stuff Sunday. Read more…

C.J. Anderson (22) of the Denver Broncos holds off Rob Ninkovich (50) of the New England Patriots in the first quarter. The Broncos played the New England Patriots at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Nov. 29, 2015. (Andy Cross, The Denver Post)

Running is back. Just when C.J. Anderson started gaining ground in the first half, the Broncos handed off to Ronnie Hillman. Anderson and Hillman split the carries early in the game. Hillman’s sweep around the right side led to a 19-yard TD run in the second quarter. Anderson bolted around left end for a 15-yard TD gallop in the fourth quarter.

Targeted. Emmanuel Sanders was Denver’s most effective receiver Sunday night against New England. He had three early catches for 41 yards, and quarterback Brock Osweiler kept going his way.

Wolfe’s lair. Derek Wolfe caused Tom Brady the most trouble early in the game. He sacked Brady for a 4-yard loss in the first quarter and made a team-high four tackles during the first half.

WORSTS

Waiting game. Brock Osweiler looked like a QB making just his second NFL start. In the second quarter, he waited a beat too long as the pocket collapsed on him. His pass was blocked at the shoulder and intercepted by Chandler Jones. In the first quarter, Osweiler waited long enough for the Patriots to sack him out of field-goal range.

Talib’s flags. Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib received another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he blocked a Patriots punt-coverage player through the out-of-bounds area.

Cold-quitt. Britton Colquitt shanked a 25-yard punt after Denver went three-and-out to start the game. He over-punted into the end zone for a net 14-yard punt in the second quarter.

Grades

Offense: A
Brock Osweiler was sacked three times and picked off once, and Demaryius Thomas went 11 targets without a catch. Osweiler finished 23-of-42 for 270 yards and a touchdown, but the stars of the game were Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson, who combined for 172 yards and three touchdowns, the last of which was a 48-yard run by Anderson to win the game in overtime.

Defense: B+
Mistakes cost the Broncos early and late as the Patriots jumped to a 14-point lead in the second quarter and tied the game in the waning seconds. But the defense, playing without safety T.J. Ward (ankle) and Sylvester Williams (ankle) after injuries in the second quarter, held New England to only 39 yards rushing and 2-of-13 on third downs.

Special Teams: C
Britton Colquitt’s first punt after the Broncos’ opening offensive drive sailed only 25 yards and set the Patriots up at Denver’s 47-yard line. New England scored four plays later. Colquitt’s forgettable first quarter ended with a touchback, and his night ended with an average of 43.4 yards on eight punts. Kicker Brandon McManus, meanwhile, was 1-of-2 on field-goal attempts.

Coaching: A
There were mistakes on both sides of the ball, and Osweiler was sacked three times, bringing his season total to 11. More important, though, the Broncos handed the Patriots their first loss of the season with a balanced offensive attack.

Game balls

C.J. Anderson. The Broncos’ run game came through in a game the Broncos needed it most. Anderson delivered 113 yards rushing (and 40 receiving yards, and two rushing touchdowns, the last a game-winner.

Emmanuel Sanders. Brock Osweiler connected with Sanders for a 22-yard catch in the first quarter to set the tone as Sanders led all receivers with 113 yards on six catches.

Vernon Davis (80) of the Denver Broncos runs after making a catch against the Chicago Bears during the second half of the Broncos’ 17-15 win at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bears hosted the Denver Broncos on Nov. 22, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Run game shines. Denver’s offense goes how its run game goes. After two games of running the ball for fewer than 70 yards in each of the past two games, the Broncos gained 81 rushing yards in the first half against the Bears. Ronnie Hillman led the team with 102 yards. C.J. Anderson added 59. The team finished with a 170 yards. Read more…

Alex Smith (11) of the Kansas City Chiefs gets hit by Von Miller (58) of the Denver Broncos as he releases the ball in the third quarter. The Broncos played the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Nov. 15, 2015. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

Von’s sack attack. The joke going around Broncos practice last week was that outside linebacker Von Miller led the NFL in “almost sacks.” Well, he got a full one Sunday in one of the Broncos’ few bright spots. Miller has five sacks this season.

Latimer sighting. After coming into the game with zero catches, wide receiver Cody Latimer had three for 30 yards Sunday and drew a fourth-quarter pass interference call.

Osweiler plays. Brock Osweiler ran Gary Kubiak’s offense the way it was intended to be run and looked OK once the game was beyond reach.

WORSTS

Peyton Manning’s picks. For the second week in a row, the Broncos failed to show up for the first half. Offensively, they laid an egg with only 40 yards. The troubles continued into the second half as Peyton Manning threw four interceptions before being benched for Brock Osweiler. They were shut out for three-and-a-half quarters.

Lack of composure. Safety T.J. Ward was ejected for a punch to the head of Chiefs’ receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Health comes first. Receiver Emmanuel Sanders limped with an ankle injury the entire game before leaving the game after a brutal hit between two Chiefs’ defenders. He did not return.

Grade

Offense: F
Peyton Manning’s all-time record for yards passing, set in the first quarter, was overshadowed by one of the worst performances, if not the worst, of his career. After throwing four interceptions and recording a 0.0 quarterback rating, he was replaced in the third quarter by Brock Osweiler. The Broncos were held scoreless in the first half for the first time since 2012.

Defense: D
The loss of outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and cornerback Aqib Talib seemed to leave holes too big to fill. The defense couldn’t get off the field, allowing quarterback Alex Smith and Kansas City’s offense to stay on for 21 minutes, 10 seconds in the first half alone, compared with 8:50 for the Broncos. The final blow: an ejection of safety T.J. Ward, who decked a defenseless Jeremy Maclin on a Chiefs touchdown in the fourth. The penalty could lead to a suspension.

Special teams: B
Broncos punter Britton Colquitt, going against his older brother, Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt, averaged 46.2 yards on six punts. On coverage, the Broncos allowed only 15 yards on three punt returns and one kick return. Denver’s offensive struggles never gave Brandon McManus a chance to boot a field goal.

Coaching: D
Four interceptions thrown by Manning could have been six, and the run game produced only 69 net yards. Head coach Gary Kubiak admitted afterward he shouldn’t have played Manning. The offense was a train wreck for 3½ quarters — enough time for Manning to put his receivers in danger.

Game balls

Brock Osweiler. Osweiler inherited an offense in disarray in the third quarter and engineered two scoring drives. He finished 14-of-24 for 146 yards, one passing TD and a pick.

Charcandrick West. The Chiefs running back recorded 161 all-purpose yards (92 receiving) and scored two touchdowns, the second of which was an 80-yard reception to put Kansas City ahead 29-0 in the fourth quarter.

Shaquil Barrett’s career game is perfect time. Shaquil Barrett wasn’t hesitant in his first career start. He mauled Browns QB Josh McCown on a key strip sack. Barrett also had nine tackles, including two for loss in place of DeMarcus Ware and Shane Ray.

No Fly Zone. Safety T.J. Ward was asked who would make the big play this week. He said “put the names in the hat.” It was Aqib Talib, who had a 63-yard pick-six, the Broncos’ fourth defensive touchdown of the year.

Runnin’ Ronnie. There weren’t many positives about the Broncos offense, but Ronnie Hillman wasn’t the problem. He showed the speed burst Denver had been missing from its run game with 20 carries for 111 yards.

Chris Harris (25) of the Denver Broncos kneels in the end zone after returning an interception for a touchdown off of Derek Carr (4) of the Oakland Raiders during the second half of the Broncos’ 16-10 win at the O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders hosted the Denver Broncos on Oct. 11, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Chris Harris’ no-fly zone saves the day. It’s like clockwork. Every time the offense needs a pick-me-up, the defense swoops in to make a play. This time it was Chris Harris reading Derek Carr’s eyes, intercepting a pass over the middle and taking it for the game-clinching 74-yard touchdown.

Keep bringing the heat. After DeMarcus Ware left with a back injury, reserve outside linebackers Shaquil Barrett and Shane Ray each came up with their second sacks of the season. The Broncos made four sacks Sunday, which makes 22 for the season.

Shining Sanders. Emmanuel Sanders was the go-to receiver, especially in the first half. He finished with nine catches for 111 yards.

WORSTS

Manning INTs, Broncos’ run game struggles again. Usually quarterbacks take their offensive line to dinner; Peyton Manning ought to take the defense out instead. For the second straight game, Manning threw two interceptions — bring his total to seven through five games this season.

One-dimensional. After showing life last week, the run game regressed Sunday. C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman combined for 43 yards on 18 carries (2.4 yards per carry).

Von Miller (58) of the Denver Broncos celebrates recovering a fumble by Teddy Bridgewater (5) of the Minnesota Vikings to end the game. The Denver Broncos played the Minnesota Vikings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Oct. 4, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Tackle Michael Schofield did right by his performance. Schofield played his first snap Sunday, and he didn’t give up any egregious sacks and looked like a competent starting right tackle.

Mission accomplished. Objective No. 1 for the Broncos’ defense this week was to stop Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Mission accomplished. Peterson came into Week 4 as the NFL’s leading rusher. He had a big run in the fourth quarter, but finished with less than 100 yards. That’s a win for Denver.

Opportunistic defense. For the fourth straight week, a defensive play saves the day. On Sunday, it was a T.J. Ward’s strip sack, and Von Miller recovered the ball.

WORSTS

Coverage, penalties haunt secondary. We’ve learned to develop high standards for the Broncos secondary. But Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby struggled with penalties and missed assignments especially in the first half.

It only takes one. Sly Williams was pushed aside on Adrian Peterson’s fourth-quarter 48-yard touchdown run. The run defense played well, but that one rush brought life to a the Minnesota offense.

Missed opportunity. Cody Latimer didn’t play any offensive snaps in Week 3 and his only meaningful play Sunday was a first-quarter hold on a run call.–Cameron Wolfe

Grades

Offense: B-
Coach Gary Kubiak let Peyton Manning continue with what worked at Detroit: playing out of shotgun and the pistol. The running game came alive with Ronnie Hillman’s 72-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and the backs collectively finished with 144 yards. But Manning, playing behind the re-shuffled offensive line, was sacked twice and threw two interceptions. He ended the game 17-of-27 for 213 yards and one touchdown.

Defense: A-
Wade Phillips threw the kitchen sink at the Vikings and held Adrian Peterson to only 34 yards rushing through three quarters. More impressive: The Broncos recorded seven sacks, the last of which was a strip-sack by T.J. Ward to seal the win. But Peterson sprinted through the Broncos’ defensive line on a fourth and 1 early in the fourth quarter for a 48-yard touchdown run. And, a defensive holding call on Aqib Talib on a third-and-7 in the second quarter extended a Minnesota drive that finished with a field goal.

Special Teams: A
The Brandon McManus Show goes on. On a day the league as a whole struggled with kicking, McManus made all three of his field-goal attempts, the last of which (39 yards) was the game-winner with 1:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. He also made a 33- and 47-yarder to extend his perfect streak to 9-of-9 this season.

Coaching: A
Kubiak & Co. decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 in the third quarter, and Manning hit tight end Owen Daniels with a play-action pass in the left corner of the end zone. Phillips’ creativity on the defensive side resulted in seven sacks of Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and contained Peterson on the ground for three quarters.

Game balls

Ronnie Hillman. His 72-yard touchdown run in the second quarter breathed life into the Broncos’ running game that entered Sunday’s matchup with only 171 yards in three games. His run tied for the fourth-longest touchdown run in Broncos history.

T.J. Ward. A strip-sack in the final seconds gave the Broncos seven sacks for the day and sealed the Broncos’ 23-20 victory. Ward, who also had the Broncos’ first sack of the game, now has 7.5 in his career and is the only NFL safety to record at least one in each of the past five seasons.–Nicki Jhabvala

Bennie Fowler (16) of the Denver Broncos runs as Josh Wilson (30) of the Detroit Lions and Brandon Copeland (95) attempt a tackle during the first half of play at Ford Field. The Detroit Lions hosted the Denver Broncos in NFL week 3 action on Sept. 27, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Bennie Fowler grew up in Michigan, attended Michigan State and got his first career catches in the Broncos 24-12 victory over the Lions in Detroit. Fowler was the Broncos’ third leading receiver, with four catches for 50 yards.

BeWare of No. 94. DeMarcus Ware continued his great season Sunday with 1½ sacks, two tackles for loss and three hits on Matthew Stafford. Ware, 33, is second in the NFL in sacks (3.5) through three games.

Roby the ballhawk. Fresh off his game-winning scoop-and-score touchdown last week, cornerback Bradley Roby showed off his athleticism picking off a Stafford first-quarter pass intended for Golden Tate.

WORSTS

Three straight games, it’s starting to become an epidemic. Broncos running backs made 19 carries for 41 yards (2.2 yards per carry). Peyton Manning threw at least 40 passes for the third straight game. A win is a win, but this is a problem that needs serious attention.

Shooting yourself in the foot The Broncos once again did not make friends with the yellow flag. They had eight penalties for 89 yards, including three personal-foul penalties.

Finish the play He made a great touchdown catch to end the first half, but Demaryius Thomas had at least three drops and a crucial fumble that led to a Lions touchdown.

–Cameron Wolfe

Grades

Offense: B
Peyton Manning went back to what Peyton Manning does best – playing in shotgun. And it worked, for the most part. Ronnie Hillman ran in their first rushing touchdown of the season. Then Manning found Demaryius Thomas for a 45-yard strike. And then Manning found Owen Daniels for an 11-yard touchdown pass in the fourth. But there were still blips along the way: an interception in the second, a taunting penalty and a fumble by Thomas, and a sack in the third after a missed block by C.J. Anderson.

Defense: B+
The swarming defense returned, but so did the penalties. DeMarcus Ware claimed 1½ sacks in the first quarter alone. Bradley Roby had a highlight-reel pick off a Matthew Stafford pass. Aqib Talib blocked an extra point. Shaquil Barrett caused a strip sack fumble that was recovered by Malik Jackson. And David Bruton had an acrobatic interception in the fourth. But the defense racked up six of the Broncos’ nine penalties.

Special Teams: A
Britton Colquitt took a pay cut and beat out punters in training camp to keep his job. On Sunday, he proved the Broncos made a sound decision in keeping him, as he booted five punts for 213 yards, including a 45-yarder to the right and a 31-yarder to the left in the first half, putting the Lions at their own 12- and 11-yard lines, respectively. And Brandon McManus kicked a 48-yard field goal in the fourth to extend Denver’s lead.

Coaching: B
Gary Kubiak let Manning do what Manning does best and it worked. The Broncos jumped to a 14-6 lead at halftime with the veteran quarterback playing almost entirely in shotgun. Big plays by the defense set up a field goal and touchdown in the fourth to extend their record to 3-0, but the running game, again, failed to produce (19 carries, 41 yards).

Peyton Manning is eyeing his ninth straight win against the Chiefs dating to his days with the Colts. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post)

KANSAS CITY — Peyton Manning walks out of the tunnel Thursday night attempting to do something not even Craig Morton accomplished.

No quarterback has beaten the Kansas City Chiefs nine consecutive times. Manning owns eight straight wins, a record he shares with Morton. Manning won his last two with the Colts and hasn’t lost to the Chiefs as a member of the Broncos. Morton’s streak spanned from 1970-79, spanning his tenure with the Cowboys and Broncos.

Manning, facing scrutiny not seen since he came back from neck surgery in 2012, needs 134 passing yards to join Brett Favre in the 70,000-yard club. He figures to reach it, but where will he finish? The Broncos are expected to simplify the offense to help the line, which could mean a steady diet of C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman to set up play-action. It would not surprise me if the Broncos finished with 40 rushing attempts.

So on the keys to the game:

Run for it
Manning, 39, didn’t play well last Sunday, perhaps you heard? It wasn’t a good performance, but multiple factors contributed beyond Manning. The offensive line struggled in his first game action together. Center Matt Paradis, Evan Mathis and Ty Sambrailo all graded out poorly. Mathis will play better. His track record provides proof. Paradis and Sambrailo will fight inconsistency based on their lacking experience. They are considered quick learners. The solution? Keep it basic. Run the ball to set up play-action hits. Manning’s final statistics would have looked much different last week had he connected on both or even one of the shots down field to Emmanuel Sanders. If those are missed tonight, Denver will lose. C.J. Anderson will play, but if the Broncos win he will likely form a two-headed monster with Ronnie Hillman.

Force Alex Smith to win the game
Alex Smith has earned “The Captain Checkdown” nickname. He will look to dump the ball off rather than take shots down the field. If the Broncos can limit the damage of Jamaal Charles out of the backfield — Brandon Marshall is central to the coverage — it will force Smith to turn to Travis Kelce and Jeremy Maclin. Kelce will get his catches. He’s that good. David Bruton figures to spend a chunk of time on him in nickel packages. Maclin remains a solid receiver. But the Broncos can take him out with either Chris Harris or Aqib Talib, forcing Smith to take risks elsewhere.

Take the crowd out
This is the home-opener for the Chiefs. They take their football seriously around here. I say that as someone who was stuck in traffic to get into the parking lot 5 1/2 hours before the game. I saw two RVs featuring 50-inch flat screens in the place of windows. The Chiefs are kind of a big deal here. Nothing mutes the crowd like a good running game, and no turnovers. The crowd grows restless with nothing to roar about, similar to when a pitcher shuts down an opponent. If the Broncos establish the ground game, they will run out of town with their NFL record 13th consecutive divisional road victory. If they fall behind and become predictable with the pass, Denver’s chances will nosedive dramatically.

Ryan Harris (68) of the Denver Broncos congratulates Brandon McManus (8) on a made field goal. The Denver Broncos played the Baltimore Ravens at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver on Sept. 13, 2015. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Brandon McManus is known for his power, but even he had to be pleasantly surprised to launch 57- and 56-yard field goals in the first quarter.

With his second make, McManus became the second player in NFL history (Greg Zuerlein, St. Louis in 2012) with multiple 56 yards-plus field goals in the same game. He also became the first Broncos kicker since 2011 to make multiple 50 yard-plus field goals in a game.

McManus changed his kicking technique in the offseason to improve his consistency. He also added 43- and 33-yarders in the second half, but those were child’s play.

WORST

Starter C.J. Anderson was a non-factor Sunday, rushing for 29 yards on 12 carries. Ronnie Hillman came on strong late, adding 41 yards on 12 carries, most on the Broncos’ final drive of the game. The Ravens haven’t allowed an 100-yard rusher in 27 games, but with all-pro guards Louis Vasquez and Evan Mathis anchoring the running game, you would have thought Denver could average better than 2.8 yards per carry. During the offseason, Anderson said his role would be to take pressure off Peyton Manning. It’s clear there’s much to be worked out in the Broncos’ new zone-blocking scheme.–Cameron Wolfe

Grades

Offense: D
The Gary Kubiak offense was more of a Peyton Manning offense as the veteran quarterback took 44 of 65 snaps in the shotgun. The result? Hardly Manning-like: 24 of 40 attempts for 175 yards, zero touchdowns, and a pick-six to Jimmy Smith in the third quarter. He nearly had two other passes intercepted, was sacked four times and the offense racked up five penalties for a loss of 34 yards. The run game struggled against Baltimore’s defense until a late burst in the second half, finishing with 69 yards on 25 carries.

Defense: A+
Wade Phillips’ swarming 3-4 defense was in full effect. The team collected two sacks, but constant pressure, nine quarterback hits and a couple tipped passes could have led to many more. Inside linebackers Brandon Marshall and Danny Trevathan proved they’re back to health, combining for 16 of the team’s 51 total tackles. Aqib Talib scored the go-ahead 51-yard pick-six late in the third, and Darian Stewart’s interception sealed the win in the waning seconds.

Special Teams: A+
Emmanuel Sanders made his debut as the Broncos’ punt returner and averaged 6.7 yards on three returns. But the spotlight quickly turned to Brandon McManus. The Broncos’ kicker booted 57-, 56-, 43- and 33-yard field goals to become the second player in NFL history with multiple 56-yard plus FGs in the same game.

Coaching: B
This was hardly how the offensive-minded Kubiak envisioned his first game back on the Broncos’ sideline: A lot of shotgun, not much from the run game, four sacks allowed. But the Broncos’ defense brought back memories of The Orange Crush and a win against Baltimore is no small feat.

Game balls

Brandon McManus
The Broncos’ kicker quashed any doubt as to why he was chosen as their starter this year over Connor Barth, booting four field goals, including a 57 and 56-yarder.

Aqib Talib
His pick-six in the third gave the Broncos the go-ahead score and gave him his seventh interception returned for a touchdown since 2009, the most in the NFL during that span.–Nicki Jhabvala

The Broncos entered Thursday’s draft with eyes on multiple prizes. Had the picks gone as planned, with nobody plummeting, Denver was prepared to take an offensive tackle. While several tackles visited or talked with the Broncos — Andrus Peat, DJ Humphries, Ereck Flowers, T.J. Clemmings — Cedric Ogbuehi emerged as the most viable, desirable target. When the Bengals selected him with the 21st pick, the Broncos made an executive decision, preferring an elite pass rusher over the fifth tackle available. So general manager John Elway dialed up Detroit and made it happen, sending Denver’s first rounder, two fifth-rounder’s and offensive lineman Manny Ramirez to the Lions for the 23rd pick.

Defensive end Shane Ray provides tantalizing talent, a high-risk, high-reward selection after he fell in the draft because of a Monday citation for marijuana possession.

Which brings us to Friday, Day 2.

The Broncos own the 59th overall pick in the second round (27th) and the 92nd pick in the third round (28th). The Broncos should have the opportunity to find an offensive tackle. Those remaining on the board include Colorado State’s Ty Sambrailo and Utah’s Jeremiah Poutasi, both of whom visited the Broncos. If center becomes the priority, Florida’s Max Garcia is worth a look in the the third round. He would fit the Broncos’ zone blocking scheme and has talked with Denver. Again, he profiles well.

Inside linebacker can’t be dismissed, and no one would be surprised if it’s addressed Friday. Miami’s Denzel Perryman fits perfectly. He’s undersized like Danny Trevathan, but also plays with Trevathan’s relentless motor. TCU’s Paul Dawson could be on the board as well, and if he slips, Mississippi State’s Benardrick McKinney.

If the Broncos elect for a guard, names to file away include Hobart’s Ali Marpet, Florida State’s Tre Jackson. A.J. Cann ranks as the top guard and met with Denver, but is unlikely to be available late in the second round.

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303: Passing yards by Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. He completed 31 of 49 passes (63.3 percent) with two touchdowns and one interception for an 85.7 rating.

499: Passing touchdowns in Manning’s career after his 26-yard TD to tight end Jacob Tamme with 19 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. It was his 100th passing TD as a Bronco, making him the fastest player in league history to tally 100 TDs with a team (35th career game. Dan Marino is second, with 44 games).

149: Receiving yards by Emmanuel Sanders. The Broncos’ wideout recorded career-highs in yards and receptions (11) in Sunday’s loss.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.